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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL FREDERICK HLIG, OF CHEMNITZ, SAXONY, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE FREDRICK WILLIAM PABST, OF SAME PLACE.

HARMONIUM.

Specification forming part of Letters P atent No. 57,270, dated August 14, 1866.

To all 007mm t may concern Be it known that I, C. F. UHLIG, of Chemnitz, in the Kingdom ot' Saxony, have invented a new and useful Improved Harmonium; and I do hereby declare that the following is at'ull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ot' this specification. in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section ofthe same.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of instruments in which an accordeon or other wind-instrument is combined with a piano-forte or other stringed instrument. v

The invention consists in giving to that portion ot' the instrument which contains the reeds, the air-chambers or wind-trunks, and the other parts forming the principal mechanism of the melodeon, a rising -and falling motion, in such a manner that when the mechanism ot` the melodeon is raised the Valves leading to the reeds are opened by the act of depressing the keys, and the reeds are caused to sound simultaneously with the strings, but if the mechanism of the melodeon is depressed the reeds are thrown out of connection with the keys, and if one of the keys is depressed it causes the appropriate string to sound alone, independent of the reeds.

In order to permit the rising and falling motion of the box containing the mechanism of the melodeon, it is indispensable that the connection between the air-chamber and the bellows shall be tlexible, so that the air-cham ber is free to rise and fall with the box containing the mechanism of the melodeon without disturbing its connection with the bellows.

A represents the key -board of an ordinary piano-forte or melodeon inclosed in a case, A', and containing a series of keys, a, each of which is provided with a suitable action, c, and hammer d, which, when the key is depressed, dies up against one of the cords and causes it to sound in the same manner as the ordinary actions of square, grand, and upright piano? fortes. The strings s extend from the hitchpins c to the turning-pins, in the usual manner. and the richness and intensity ot' the sound is increased by the soumling-board g, and, if desired, by a metal plate of any suitable construction. y

The keys a. are guided in their up-and-down motion by pins lz, which rise from the bolster fz', and from their bottom surfaces project pins a', which, by coming in contact with similar pins a, form the connection between the mechanism of the piano-forte and that ot' the melodeon.

The pins d pass down through suitable sockets in the bottom ofthe case Af, and they stand opposite Ato levers j', which have their fulcra in a rail,f, and each ot' which connects..

with the valve 7c. The rail j' rises from the top of the air-chamber I3, which is supported by the frame C of the melodeon. This frame is secured to the bottom of the case A by screws or other suitable means, an d it contains the bellows D, which are operated by the treadles E. Said bellows connect by iieXible pipes l with the air-chamber B, so that the air-chamber can rise and fall without iuterfering with the operation of the bellows, and the air-chamber is placed loosely into the frame C of the melodeon, being supported in the rear by the wedge-shaped projection m', and in front either by the spring-catch m, when it is raised, or by the top edge of the front part ot' the frame C, when it is lowered. A footlever, F, which may be situated between the treadles of the bellows, connects with a rod, n, which bears on the bottom of the air-chamber or any part connected therewith, so that by stepping on the foot-lever the air-chamber is raised, allowing the spring-catch m to drop over a lip, p, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This spring-catch is subjected to the action of a button, q, inserted in the front part ofthe frame C, and arranged in such a manner that by pressing it with the thumb or tinger the spring-catch is made to release the lip p, and the air-chamber is allowed to drop.

Thus it will be seen that the melodeon and the piano-forte can be coupled and uncoupled in a simple and easy manner, the operation ot' coupling being effected by stepping on the foot-lever F, and that ct' uncoupling by pressing the button q.

If it is desired to make the melodeon sound without the strings oi the piano-forte, all the player has todo is to depress thekeys slowly, the same as he Would in playing on an organ, and thereby the hammers are prevented from iiying up against the strings.

The internal arrangement ot1 the melodeon is similar to that ot' any ordinary melodeon. The valves 7c, which are connected to the levers j, serve to close the openings o' in the top of the air-chamber which leads to the reeds s. It' a valve is opened by the action of the appropriate key, the compressed airv contained in the air-chamber is allowed to escape through the reed or reeds governed by said valve, and said reed or reeds produce a sound. A regulator, G, attached to the bottom of the airchamber, prevents the air therein from being compressed beyond a certain point. rllhis regulator consists of an expansible chamber, t, \vhich communicates with the air-chamber through an aperture, u, and which lis subjected t0 the action of one or more springs, e, which have a tendency to keep said chamber compressed. At the bottom of the expansible chamber is a Wastevalve, w, which is con nected to a lever, c', and held closed by a spring, y. (See Fig. l.) If the pressure of the air in the air-chamber rises, the regulating` chamber ills, and when the pressure approaches the desired limit the lever .r strikes a xed rail, z, and the Waste-valve opens, allowing the surplus air to escape.

I do not claim, broadly, as my invention, a

musical instrument in which a piano-forte and 'melodeon or the sounds ot' strings and of reeds are combined; but

Vhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of iiexible pipe Z, air movable chamber B, and bellows D, substantially in the mannerrepresented and described.

2. The combination of the air-chamber B, spring-catch m, arranged with lip p, operating with the but-ton q, operating,` substantially as and Jfor the purpose herein represented and described.

3. The combination of the lever F, rod n, air-chamber B, provided with the spring-catch m, operating` with lip p substantially in the manner and for the purpose represented and described.

4. The combination and arrangement of the keys a with pins ct', lever j with pins c2, airchamber B, spring-catch m, lip p, button q, rod n. lever F, iiexible pipe l, bellows D, con structed and operating substantially as described, i'or the purpose specied.

The above specitication of my invention signed by me this 6th day of December, A.D. 1865.

c. F. UHLIG.

Witnesses W. S. CAMPBELL,

United States Consul, Dresden. JOSHUA SANDS. 

